SIN Vol. 24 Issue 03

Student Independent

Creeslough tragedy has “ripped the soul” from the town

By Darragh Nolan & Valerie McHugh

A Creeslough native has said the tragedy which took the lives of 10 people in the village has “ripped the soul” from the community.

Speaking to SIN, Jessica Redmond, who grew up in Creeslough and now lives in Milltown, spoke openly of how the County Donegal village has been affected by the accident.

“I lived in Creeslough for 12 years, it is my home. I know people that were affected by the tragedy. I know people who were first on the scene. It is very hard to describe the effect it’s had on our wee town.

“My stepdad just came back from the funeral of his cousins Catherine and James. It’s like the heart has been taken out of the town.”

Jessica said people in Creeslough are “in a daze” of attending wakes and funerals. She added that a key amenity for the village has also been taken away from local people.

“That shop housed a post office, a butcher’s, and a petrol station. Villagers have no petrol, or access to any post office,

butcher’s, or shop at the moment.

“The local priest Father John Joe Duffy has been on hand continuously since the incident and has held the community together. His work over the last few days has been unprecedented,” she said.

She said it would take “a long time” for the community to recover from this tragedy.

Members of the University of Galway and wider Galway community have also been paying tribute to the people who tragically lost their lives.

A multi-faith Vigil of Remembrance in the college chapel was organised by students and staff, many of them from Donegal, who led a candlelight procession in tribute to the victims.

Co-officiant Chaplain Fr. Ben Hughes spoke of the “spirit of friendship” that was felt at the service.

“The incredible outpouring of kindness and compassion emerging from this trag edy was acknowledged as a significant source of optimism. Our hope is that those who are suffering loss and pain will find what they need as they navigate their way through.”

Crowds from the local Galway com munity also attended a remembrance ceremony in Eyre Square this week which was organised by natives of Creeslough.

Speaking at the memorial, Mayor Cllr. Clodagh Higgins said: “Since the news unfolded on Friday, I’ve been unable to think of anything else. I’d like to extend my heartfelt good wishes to all of those who have been injured as a result of this terrible tragedy also.”

Mayor Higgins has also opened a Book of Condolences in Galway for locals to pay their respects to the people of Creeslough.

It is open for signatures in the City Hall, and is also available online.

Photo courtesy of Aengus McMahon

Lighting candles at the Eyre Square Vigil

Editorial

By Valerie McHugh Editor

Welcome to Issue 3 everyone. Well done to our sub-editors and contrib utors for putting together an edition packed full of fantastic content. A particular word of thanks to SIN’s Deputy Editor Darragh Nolan who helped me tirelessly to put this issue together; SIN would not be the same without him!

This issue is dedicated to our Donegal students, contributors and friends. We have turned our front page green and gold in tribute to the people of Creeslough. A lot of our contributors are from Donegal, and our hearts go out to everyone that has been affected by the tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time.

In some housekeeping, if you would like to get involved with SIN , make sure to email deputy.sineditor@gmail.com for more information. You can find us over on Instagram and Twitter too, where you can follow everything we get up to too.

For now, here is issue 3, we hope you enjoy the read!

Salthill ‘High Tide’ celebrates one year of its’ authentic “gentle” swimming initiative

By Valerie McHugh

High Tide’s Gentle Sea Swimming Group is marking its’ first anniversary this week with more than 100 people who have joined the group since it was set up.

Open Water Swimming Specialist Joe Kennelly developed the “gentle” swimming concept last year, and began facilitating classes for people who wanted to nurture a relation ship with their body and the water.

Speaking to SIN News, he said: “Last year I was out for a swim when I noticed a lady getting into a bit of trouble in the water. I went to help her, and thankfully she was alright. The following week she came to visit me at work to thank me and told me she started sea swim ming to help herself cope with difficulties she was facing in her life.

“She didn’t know where to begin, didn’t even own a pair of goggles or a cap, and she didn’t have any knowledge of the sea. So, I told her I’d coach a swimming lesson for her, and that’s where it all started.”

The group classes were born after Mr. Ken nelly realised he wanted to help other people

find “comfort, solace and self-fulfillment” in the water.

The classes at the Big Beach in Salthill now welcome a crowd of all ages and swim ming abilities, and help people to explore the “beauty” of the water, swim lightly, and spend time together as a group.

Mr. Kennelly is passionate about the mental health benefits from sea swimming, citing that you can leave your personal stresses at the shore.

He said: “The way that the brain reacts when you get in the water is invigorating, and that is what is so special about it. The adrena line rush is great for your mental health. Great friendships have been made over the last year too, and we had a party after our last class with lots of cake and coffee to mark the special day.”

Originally from West Clare, Mr. Kennelly has been swimming every day for 40 years ever since his father brought him swimming for the first time.

He said: “We are all equal once you put on your bathing suit. Social class, race, weight, your wealth or your background don’t matter anymore. We are all the same.”

A Donegal jersey is left amongst candles at the Eyre Square Vigil for victims of the Creeslough tragedy.

The group met to celebrate their first birthday.

Photo: Mayor Cllr. Clodagh Higgins

Arts & Fashion

Health & Lifestyle

Sport

City organisations take part in picnic for Palestine

By Suhasini Srinivasaragavan

Attendees of Galway’s ‘Picnic Against Apartheid’ have signed a petition for an EU-wide ban on the sale of goods from conflict zones.

The petition comes as part of Amnesty International’s large cam paign which is “calling for Israel to end the international wrong, and crime, of apartheid, against Palestinians”.

Maria-Anne-Micheal, the communications officer from overseas development charity Trócaire, that the picnic “didn’t necessarily have a large audience.”

However, people stopped by to listen when Katie, an attendee, performed an impromptu musical number.

“When she started singing ‘Stand By Me,’ people stopped by to listen…when she finished, people went on their way.”

Amnesty organised this picnic in collaboration with the Galway Palestine Solidarity Campaign a local group providing support and offering solidarity to the Palestinian community.

Galway hosts a relatively large number of Palestinian refugees, some of whom attended the picnic to share their experiences.

There were several other events held in Galway that day, includ ing a climate change conference on the Inis Oírr Island, where Ciaran Tierney, an ex-journalist, and a key member of the GPSC was present.

He said that over 100 members of the conference “took time off at lunch and gathered in support of the Picnic”.

Officially, Ireland does not recognise the state of Palestine. Both the Dáil and the Seanad have passed motions to recognise Palestine but government prefers to wait to do so as part of an EU-wide decision.

Photo: Galway Palestine Solidarity Campaign

University of Galway ‘frustrated and angered’ by accommodation crisis

By Darragh Nolan Deputy Editor

The President of the University of Galway has said the institution is “frustrated and angry” due to rising rents and accommo dation shortages for students.

Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh took the rare step of joining the Students’ Union in a protest against the student accommodation crisis on Wednesday September 28.

Speaking as the protest got underway, he said his decision to join the march was something of an “atonement” and an acknowledgment of accountability to the younger generation.

“In many ways my generation voted for policies which have created this situation and the student generation are affected by it.”

The University President standing alongside students as they marched from the Quadrangle to Eyre Square underlined the seriousness of the issue for not just students, but the University itself.

The President said it was important for he and the institution as a whole to stand in solidarity with students.

“I want to stand with our students… it’s really important for the University when the student experience is undermined by issues such as accommodation.

“We’re saying now that enough is enough and let’s do something about it. We’re very frustrated and very angry that this is now a barrier to access for students,” he said.

Professor Ó hÓgartaigh said that the University must be part of the solution as wider society works together to tackle the accommodation crisis.

He said that the University plans to complete the construction of 680 new apartments in Dangan and is looking at options for further builds on and off campus.

The Students’ Union protest was an allnight affair as demonstrators slept out in tents in Eyre Square.

The march from campus was attended by over 50 people while dozens joined in the city centre sleepout.

‘Bleak’ outlook for tenants in city as Budget falls short

By Darragh Nolan

Threshold has predicted a “catastrophic” winter ahead for tenants and homeless people after government failed to include any of the measures included in its preBudget submission.

Galway city is set for a “bleak” winter period with the accommodation crisis set to worsen according to a spokesperson for the housing charity.

Western Regional Services Manager for Threshold Karina Timothy said measures introduced by government in Budget 2023 fall short of what’s needed to support tenants.

“We were looking for something sub stantial to help renters. You have to be working to claim the €500 [renter’s tax credit] and it’s only €500. It amounts to very, very little.”

The average price of renting a single room in Galway city is €588, meaning the tax credit fails to cover even a month’s rent for the average renter.

She said a similar tax credit in 2010 was €400 but pointed out that rents have more than doubled since then.

“You’re also ineligible for this tax credit if you’re in receipt of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). The reality is that HAP caps don’t meet rents as it is and tenants are topping it up out of their own income.”

Ms Timothy was also critical of the Vacant Property Tax, saying it isn’t being enforced and can be easily skirted as it only applies to properties deemed habitable.

She said freezes on rent increases and evictions similar to those in place during Covid lockdowns would offer short-term relief for people who are struggling.

The long-term problem of an insuffi cient of housing continues to loom and “not enough” is being done to tackle this pressing issue.

“Supply is definitely short. Not only are annual targets for new builds not being met, they’re not high enough to begin with.

“We have people on waiting lists for emergency accommodation. You have to ask, could Local Authority housing not be turned around quicker so that we can actually use these properties to house people?,” she said.

Sai Gujulla (SU President) Seánie Ó Gáibhín (Oifigeach na Gaeilge – Páirt Aimseartha) and Raimey O’Boyle (Postgrad Taught Officer) at the Accomodation Protest on 28 September. Photo: Lisa Hamilton.

Minimum wage increase ‘not enough’ says TD

By Suhasini Srinivasaragavan

The rise in minimum wage is not in line with Ireland’s growth, pointing to a “substantial shift in wealth from labour to capital,” said People Before Profit/ Solidarity TD Mick Barry.

Minimum wages have risen unstead ily over the past two decades. During

Climate Crisis protest draws large crowd in Eyre Square

By Suhasini Srinivasaragavan

Crowds of protestors gathered for a cli mate crisis march in Eyre Square on Friday 23 September.

Protestors included college goers, school students and members of the pub lic, and attracted hundreds of on-lookers with their signs and chants.

“Friday’s are for the future” was a call used in particular and references a movement of the same name started by prominent Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg involving school students in the climate movement.

The protest was led by Malena Thren, the first-ever part-time Sustainability officer with the University of Galway Students’ Union.

Falconer and other independent organisa tions pushing for solutions to the climate crisis were present at the protest.

The march saw representation from all walks of life. Long-time activist Geraldine said she started learning about the climate crisis 30 years ago.

“I used to have a table with leaflets on it so passers-by could see it…I read books which helped me learn a lot and followed the works of Green Peace and Friends of the Earth decades ago!,” she said.

Geraldine later joined Trócaire, who, according to her, was aware of the intense droughts third-world citizens were facing. She added, “the poor of the Earth are the people who are suffering the most”.

a debate at the Oireachtas in February, Deputy Mick Barry said:

“The average annual wages in Ireland increased by…0.38 per cent…while in the same period the Gross National Income increased by 61.2 per cent…all this points to a substantial shift in wealth from labour to capital in the last period.”

Hourly minimum wages for adults over 20 will increase to €11.30 from January 2023. Whereas the minimum living wage for Ireland is currently set at €12.90, which “enables individuals to afford a socially acceptable standard of living.”

Many argue that with the current state of affairs with the acute hike in rents and energy bills, this may not be sufficient.

“I’m working as a bartender, so I have decent pay,” one student said.

His wages cover rent, food bills and electricity with the possibility of savings.

Many are not this lucky and are anxiously looking forward to a hike in minimum wages.

“Most places pay €10.55 an hour. €11.30 an hour would be a decent hike,” says another student.

The so-called ‘cost of surviving’ amidst the cost of living crisis is also pushing back the motivation to make sustainable purchases.

The onus of “making the right choice” gen erally falls on the consumers, pushing them to choose between two expensive choices;

Either making unethical, but afforda ble purchases and causing irreversible damage to Earth, or making sustainable, albeit expensive choices that punch large holes in their pockets.

At any rate, wherever the allegedly siphoned labour capital is going, it’s becom ing increasingly apparent that a fresh graduate is sure to be in a fickle financial environment unless swift, concrete moves are made to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

She says this is not the first iteration of this protest, but with nobody at the helm, the turnout and organisation of previous protests would always be poor.

This time, there were over 50 protestors which was more than what she expected.

Other members of the Students’ Union Executive including Vice President for Education Joe Mee and Imogen O’Flaherty

Another protestor at the march was first-time climate change protestor Liz Mole, who explained that she was “extremely anxious” for her grandchildren.

Scott Ryder, a 17-year-old activist, has been in the for over three years and expressed his gratitude for Greta Thun berg, “the people who don’t understand her shame her…but I’m grateful for her and her bravery.”

Light display shows impact of rising sea levels in Galway

By Alessia Micalizzi

A new light installation in Galway show ing the impact of rising sea levels has been hailed as “fabulous” by Green Party Councillor, Martina O’Connor.

“It makes it easy for people to under stand what’s happening on an ongoing basis and to engage with it”, she said.

The horizontal illuminated lines installed on the Spanish Arch and the surrounding area will be switched on at night-time for the next six months, mark ing the level waters will reach according to scientists and showing how the town could be flooded within one-hundred years.

The project, by artists Timo Aho and Pekka Niittyvirta, is called “Linte na Far raige” and will take place in several Irish coastal sites.

Ms O’Connor thinks such a clear reminder could change Galwegians’ daily habits, for example in the use of their cars. “While the bigger picture could be overwhelming, having it brought down to the place where you

live can actually make you rethink your choices”, she said.

The project is based on renewable and low consumption energies, according to “Linte na Farraige” creators, but a light installation in the middle of an energy and climate crisis could still raise doubts among the public.

“I think you have to invest to win,” said Ms O’Connor, “If the use of that amount of light can trigger us all to think about what we are wasting, it’s worth it”. According to the Councillor, artists choices must be respected and although there could be other effective ways to mark the buildings, such as spray paint, they would be washed away too easily.

It’s still not clear if at the end of the six months there will be collected data showing a change in Galway citizens’ behaviours after the installation, and Ms O’Connor will ask about Council’s plan on that. “The pressure doesn’t have to be fully on the citizen”, she added, “It’s important that decision makers achieve results as well. That’s why I joined the Green Party”.

“ Many argue that with the current state of affairs even the living wage may not be sufficient.

Certainty power will stay on needed for prepay customers after Budget announcement

By Valerie McHugh

Sinn Féin are demanding certainty that prepay electricity customers will not have their power cut off this winter following the introduction of Budget 2023 energy measures.

This comes as Government announce a range of energy supports aimed at easing the burden on consumers, with the oppo sition believing they are not inclusive of pay-as-you-go customers.

Energy credits worth €600 will rolled out for households across the country, and will be paid over the upcoming win ter months. The credit will be applied to consumer electricity bills.

Secondly, the 9% VAT rate that has been applied to energy bills will be extended until February 2023. According to a report by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, this equates to a saving of approximately €64 for the average house hold over the period.

The Commission for the Regulation of Utilities has also confirmed the Public Service Obligation levy will be zero until

October 2023, meaning an €89.10 annual credit will be applied to household energy bills.

A lump sum of €400 will also be given to recipients of the Fuel Allowance in November, and the means threshold for the Fuel Allowance will be expanded from the beginning of 2023 to allow more peo ple to qualify for the payment.

According to Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald, these measures do not cater towards the 340,000 households that have prepay meters.

She said: “We know that 712 households were disconnected in the first half of this year and that was before the impact of the huge increases in bills this winter.

“Many households on prepaid meters are already rationing their electricity for fear of being cut off and that is a horrible situation for any family.”

Sinn Féin Enterprise Spokesperson Louise O’Reilly says self-disconnection will be an issue across the country.

Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week in Politics, she said “Self-disconnection is very nice way of saying you have no light or heat

coming into your home, and you are going to bed cold.”

Responding to concerns, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he will continue to work with all concerned to “ensure people are not cut off.”

He said: “The CRU has increased the emergency credit of no less than €20 but it has also provided a reduction in the debt repayment level on pay-as-you-go meters from 25 per cent to a maximum of 10 per cent. Consequently, €20 would have €2 deducted to pay debt. That came into operation on the first day of this month.”

Sinn Féin’s Deputy Pearse Doherty ques tioned the effectiveness of the increased emergency credit during Leaders’ Ques tions on Thursday.

Speaking to the Tánaiste, he said: “The reality is that €20 is not going to stretch far. Yes, the companies cannot disconnect people at the weekend or at certain hours during the day but when Monday comes around, the lights will be off and people will have no electricity and no way of turn ing on the TV, the lights or many other basic functions.”

New TG4 children’s channel vital for future generations

By Gemma Collins

A new dedicated Irish language children’s TV channel launched by TG4 is set to be vital for the next generation’s engagement with society through Gaeilge.

Cúla4 was announced by Minister for the Gaeltacht and Media Catherine Martin.

She said the new channel “will reflect the diverse back grounds of children living in all parts of Ireland, but particularly in Gaeltacht and Irish speaking communities”.

Alan Esslemont, Director General for TG4, said that Martin’s announcement is necessary for “the future and the kind of society we want to establish for future generations.

“We also need to think about how children will develop the abilities and creativity they need,” he said.

Additionally, stating that media and television/film productions are “is vital to the development of children’s understanding, attitudes and participation in society. We need to serve children and young people in safe spaces with trusted content.”

Broadcasters are now understanding the pivotal role they can play in endorsing and showing respect of the Irish language.

However, Esslemont highlights the challenges a station could face against the “predominantly English language media market”.

TG4 is an Irish station that broadcasts predominantly in the Irish language. The channel promotes the Irish language and creates many interesting and inciteful documentaries and series about Irish life.

This is a major step forward for the channel by aiming to connect to the younger audiences to portray the native lan guage as something beautiful and not a chore.

TG4 stated that this can only be done with the support of the global media environment. The relevance of the Irish language must reflect and serve the young audiences who determine the relationship and mindset of the association of the language.

In 2021 TG4 announced that they had intended to develop a channel devoted to children. This advancement began in 2022 with Karina Feirtéar being appointed as Cúla4 Channel Manager.

The new presenter for Cúla4 is Niamh Ní Chróinín. She will also act as a youth ambassador and attend public events to showcase and represent the Cúla4 brand.

This is a major step forward for the channel by aiming to connect to the younger audiences to portray the native language as something beautiful and not a chore.”

Dylan meets: Eileen Whelan, news presenter

By Dylan McLoughlin

Eileen Whelan is an Irish journalist, news reader, and presenter with RTÉ Ireland’s national radio and television station, where she has presented the One O’Clock News and Six One News as well as all other news bulletins on both radio and television.

Where did you grow up and go to school and college?

My family moved around quite a bit while growing up. My Dad worked on farms, so that took us all over the country. I was born in Limerick and left there when I was two. We were fortunate enough to live on the grounds of Howth Castle in Dublin for several years. The castle grounds were our playground, so that was an amazing place to grow up! We moved to Wicklow when I was 12 and I still live in the town today. I feel incredibly lucky to live close to the sea as I love swimming and walk ing, and we have some fabulous beaches on our doorstep and some great walks too. I studied singing for several years and really wanted to pursue a career as a singer. I spent two summers working with the Bunratty Singers in County Clare. I suppose I fell into journalism and broadcasting when I got a part-time job as a newsreader in a local pirate station in Wicklow called WLCB (there were no inde pendent radio stations back then). The broadcasting bug bit and I was hooked. I spent several years in pirate radio, I also worked at Q102 in Dublin before eventu ally getting into RTE after applying several times. I started off freelancing, doing the overnight sub-editing shifts on Radio 1 and reading news on 2FM. It was a great learning curve and a fantastic place to hone my writing and broadcasting skills. I also worked at RTE Cork 89FM, RTE’S local radio station in Cork.

When did you know you wanted to be a journalist and newsreader?

From the first day I sat at a microphone I knew I had found my future career. I loved the buzz when the red light went on and I especially loved the immediacy that comes with radio. Mine was on-thejob training and I learned so much about broadcasting and journalism by just doing the job every day. It’s the best way to learn!

In your early years as a newsreader did you get nervous before you went on air and how did you deal with those nerves?

I was absolutely terrified for the first few months! We had to prepare everything ourselves, so that often involved running to the studio with a script that you hadn’t even read properly. it was very much a

last-minute thing. When I started work ing in RTE I really felt nervous all over again. Suddenly, the whole nation was listening, and I was very aware of that. I got very used to talking myself down out of nervous situations, literally taking deep breaths and telling myself “You can do this.” It still works today!

It must be very difficult when you have to report or present bad or upsetting news. How do you deal with this, conscious that you are appearing in people’s living rooms all around the country? Yes, it can be extremely challenging, and I regularly fight back tears. I find it exceedingly difficult to report on stories about children suffering in any way. It’s all part of being a par ent! Watching pictures of human suffering especially now as the war in Ukraine continues is particularly hard.

As a Newsreader, you had to work right throughout Covid 19. Again, this must have been so challenging and stressful, as you were acutely aware that the nightly Covid 19 numbers that were released equated to people’s lives and health. Yes, I worked right through the pandemic and the early days were especially hard as the story was so unpredictable. It is almost surreal looking back now, that the entire world was consumed by this one story. Our audience figures were through the roof so there was an added layer of responsibility every night.

Is it difficult to be always having to be immaculately dressed and looking your best on front of the camera? Unfortunately, how we look is often the first thing many people notice when we come on the TV. People very often only comment on what I am wearing, or my hair or glasses! However, we are extremely fortunate to have a fantastic make-up and wardrobe department to keep us looking our best. It is a big plus in my job to be able to have my hair and make-up done every day and plenty of advice on what to wear on screen.

Tell me about your experience of working in London in 1997. I was lucky enough to be awarded a jour nalism fellowship at McAlaster College in St Paul Minnesota in 1996. When that was complete, I decided to take a sabbat ical and work in London. I freelanced at several places including Sky News and ITN before getting a job at BBC World and News 24. I spent a wonderful 4 years in London. It was an invaluable experience

working as a journalist in another coun try. I was there for some very high-profile stories and managed to report for RTE on several occasions too.

Do you ever find it had to switch and relax after presenting?

Not really, I’m good at switching off. However, having spent the day in the newsroom I usually like to watch anything other than news programmes when I get home. Right now, I am loving “Bad Sisters” with Sharon Horgan and Eve Hewson on Apple TV. It is dark but funny and the perfect switch off!

Have you ever had any interest in working behind the camera be it in radio or television and producing programmes?

No, I love being front and centre!

What advice would you give young journalists starting out?

Try to get some on-the-job training, it is invaluable. Go to your community radio station and offer to work free of charge or contact your local free newspaper and offer to write some freelance articles. Nowadays, there is so much scope to write your own blog or record videos on social media, the world is your oyster!

In 2014 you sang ‘You don’t have to say you love me’ on the Late Late Show ‘Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes’ in support of the LauraLynn Foundation? Have you always loved singing?

Yes, I was delighted to raise money for such a deserving charity. I really enjoyed appear ing on the Late Late Show, it was a fabulous night. However, I have had much better performances in my day and I cringe now when I talk about it – so enough said!

Tales from Białowieża

A Polish forest steeped in history

Nestled in the north-east of Poland, the Białowieża forest spans the country’s border with Belarus. The combined area of the Belarusian and Polish parts of the forest is more than 3,000 km2, boasting the largest population of European bison. It is also home to lynx, wolves, thousands of red deer, over two thousand fungi and – unfortunately for me – 28

The forest is steeped in history. Russia controlled it until

World War I when Germany temporarily took hold of the area. Narrow train tracks used by German forces to transport wood remain as a reminder of that brief period. Poland received the forest after the Great War but it once again came under Germany control during World War II when Adolf Hitler gifted the forest to Her mann Göring, an avid hunter who fancied the diverse wildlife. Göring prohibited logging in Białowieża, a practice which Russia and then Poland resumed after the War.

The forest floor is kept “messy”, according to Matuesz, to foster biodiversity

Logging has been at the centre of the forest’s history since then. In a landmark ruling in 2018, the Court of Justice of the European Union found that the Polish government breached European Union (“EU”) law by failing to conduct proper assessments when increasing logging in Białowieża. The case raised the standard for forestry assessments throughout the EU.

I visited a UNESCO-protected nat ural park of over 100 km2 within the vast forest. Access to much of the area is currently prohibited because of the migrant crisis on the Poland-Belarus border deemed by several Poles I met as the greatest tragedy in the country.

The migrant crisis is attributed to recent deterioration in EU-Belarus relations in response to which the Belarusian president threatened to overwhelm Europe with migrants. The EU has condemned Belarus’s “instru mentalisation” of migrants. At least 24 people have lost their lives since the beginning of 2021 attempting to pass through Białowieża to get to the EU. In 2022 alone, Polish authorities have recorded over 4,000 attempts to cross the border which Poland has recently fortified with a €353 million wall stretch ing nearly 190 kilometres.

The intensified security operation in Białowieża is affecting wildlife that now find it challenging to move between the Polish and Belarusian parts of the forest. The significant security presence was immediately evident. Within minutes of arriving, Polish officials appeared out of nowhere to ask about the purpose of my visit. Armed border guards then approached just as I got in the rental car to leave the area.

My guide, Mateusz, warded them off. Mateusz grew up locally where he stud ied forestry at school and later at the University of Life Science in Warsaw. He has given tours of the forest for over 20 years, following in the footsteps of his father who is still a guide after four dec ades. “We are not protecting a forest here. We are protecting the process,” Mateusz declared, emphasising the importance of biodiversity. Dead wood and fallen trees now litter the forest floor to ensure that species can live naturally.

Most trees are native but are not immune to the global climate crisis. Increasingly hot weather has made the spruce more vulnerable to spruce bark beetles, which thrive in the warmer climate. These beetles target a spruce’s

vital phloem and can kill a tree within a month because of the optimum temper atures they currently enjoy. The spruce bark beetles “had an impact previously but never killed as many trees,” Mateusz noted.

At first glance, environmental changes have not negatively affected the numer ous pine trees. Mateusz suggested that the increased amount of nitrogen from vehicle emissions has enriched the soil, making a 100-year old pine tree now 50% taller than a pine tree of the same age a century ago. While they are taller, this exponential growth means that the pine trees are softer and weaker, Mateusz said, emphasising that few trees escape the consequences of pollution.

Mateusz believes that the first sign of climate change in the forest was around 45 years ago when spruces stopped regenerating. It is hard to understand why little has been done to save this natural site despite those early indica tions. “Our lifetime. Our 80 years. It is nothing. It is not even one generation of the forest,” Mateusz said. Our pollut ing lifestyles threaten the forest’s long lifespan.

Although delayed, positive action is now being taken. The European Com mission last year presented the Council of the EU and the European Parliament with an EU Forest Strategy for 2030. The strategy was largely welcomed as a rec ognition the importance of forests like Białowieża in achieving the European Green Deal, a range of measures aimed at achieving climate neutrality in the Union by 2050. Among the strategy’s objectives are commitments to pro mote sustainable forest management, plant three billion additional trees by 2030 and improve biodiversity. While the strategy has faced some criticism, it has been widely regarded as a step in the right direction.

On the surface, Białowieża does not differ from other forests. However, unique realities hide within. Hopeful Belarusian migrants see the forest as a path to refuge in Europe; a hope that is ultimately shattered by strict Polish border policies. Thousands of organisms make up Białowieża’s intricate forest sys tem. Unfortunately, the system cannot avoid the devastating consequences of climate change no matter how strong it may be. Even this seemingly isolated forest on a far-flung European frontier cannot avoid two of the greatest crises facing Europe.

Macnas’s Big Return

By Rachel Garvey Features Editor

Macnas returns this year with a special feature and Galway locals are in for the biggest surprise yet. Unfortunately, the Annual Macnas Parade is not going ahead this year, but will be making a special long-awaited return for 2023; locals and non-locals are waiting excit edly for what’s in store then.

However, Macnas weren’t going to leave locals with nothing to look for ward to this year; they are introducing us to ‘Con Mór’ the giant which will be displayed at Macnas headquarters which is located in Fisheries Field on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th Octo ber from 12 noon to eight p.m. There is no age limit to who can see the big and friendly giant; meaning children and adults can pay a visit and snap some pictures of the structure.

Artistic director, Noeline Kavanagh said “This year we are inviting the public to see Con Mór at Fisheries Field, our home in the centre of Galway city, where he will be for forty-eight hours only. It’s a rave, it’s a pilgrimage, it’s the bank holiday weekend. There will be pop-up performances on site across the two days and we’re also encouraging you to bring your feathers and messages of hope.

“For fans, devotees and lovers of another great Macnas tradition, the Halloween parade of Macnas will reclaim the streets of Galway next year during October 2023 and we can’t wait.”

The giant will not be the only form of entertainment during the bank hol iday weekend, but Macnas Drummers, Macnas Brass, Macnas Youth Theatre and Macnas Stilt Ensemble will be performing during the two days.

Visitors are also being encouraged to bring any type of feather; big or small, solid or multi-coloured to the giant with a note attached to the feather; a message of hope for the future. The message should also include your name, age and where you live. A rather brilliant idea for generations both old and new to give them some hope after the gruelling pandemic we have all been through, these messages will give heir to a new sense of positivity and happiness in Galway and what better way to feel right before Halloween.

“ Mateusz believes that the first sign of climate change in the forest was around 45 years ago when spruces stopped regenerating. It is hard to understand why little has been done to save this natural site despite those early indications.”

Procrastination station

By Roshni D’Souza

As students, we’ve all struggled with procrastination. We’ve spent our days watching movies, going out, reading or even cooking and cleaning to avoid academic tasks. We’ve asked our fellow classmates if they have completed said tasks and found comfort when they said they hadn’t even begun. But unfortunately, we live in a society where we got to get our tasks done, academic or otherwise. Which

is why here’s some tips you could use for battling procrastination. Don’t worry. You don’t have to keep your phone down.

Make a to-do list

I know this is a little difficult to do. For some of us, making a list in itself is a task. What matters is not making the list, but where you make it. You could use a plan ner or an aesthetic diary, or you could be like me and slide into the DMs of a famous celebrity to list all your tasks. I did it in

hopes that the celebrity would notice me (spoiler alert: he didn’t). If you are a discord person, you can make a separate channel on discord that will list your tasks. If not, you could also paste sticky notes in the place you study, behind your laptop or phone, or places you see often.

Don’t let your thoughts wander

Whenever you have thoughts that make you wander while you study, write them down. If you have other tasks in mind while you study, writing them down might work so you know what you need to get done later and not let that distract you. You can also meditate before studying so your head is empty of any other thoughts.

Find a suitable place

Going to the college library might help. Or if you think a little noise around works for you, you can pick one of the cafés in the University. Or you can sit in the comfort of your home in your pyjamas. But make sure all possible distractions are not present where you are, and that your study table has only the materials you require to study.

Stop scrolling

This is a problem I face, too. I end up scrolling 5 minutes into studying. For this you need to make sure you lock apps that could distract you. But honestly, as a PROcrastinator, that doesn’t help me because I can access social media through my laptop instead. For this, using Chrome extensions that disallow access to websites that distract you might help. You could also do something else when you feel like picking up your phone. For example, you could watch a video or listen to a podcast for 10 minutes that is related to your studies.

Break down tasks

Sometimes having a lot to do might be daunting. You could instead break it all down and do each task one by one: for example, reading one chapter, then working on one part of an assignment, and then watching one video related to your class. If you have just one task to finish before deadline, then break it down to smaller tasks as much as possible to tackle it one by one.

As a master procrastinator who gets distracted easily, these ways help me while studying. I can guarantee that would help you, too. Having said that, there’s no hard and fast rule to stop procrastinating. You do the best you can every day. Thinking of the reason why you are doing your course and your plans for the future can be the biggest motivator at times. Let’s promise ourselves to work hard and fulfil our dreams.

“ What matters is not making the list, but where you make it. You could use a planner or an aesthetic diary, or you could be like me and slide into the DMs of a famous celebrity to list all your tasks.

Galway food businesses dealing with rising supply costs

By Caoimhe Killeen

The cost of living has become a phrase we’ve heard more than ever these past few months. It’s an issue that is impacting factors like your daily cup of coffee in the morning or ordering your favourite dish at a restaurant.

For restaurants and cafes in Galway focusing on bringing fresh, healthy food to customers, it’s marked a lot of change.

“Almost impossible for small businesses.”

Wholly Cow Burgers fell into that category, focusing on bring ing homemade burgers and fries to the public. The restaurant, opened by Valentine and Jacinta Lynam in January 2018, closed its doors for the last time recently.

Personal life changes were cited as the reason for the closure with co-owner Jacinta stating that closing had been decided about six months ago. The closure happened to concede with the news of rapidly rising food prices.

“We’re a couple-run business who were running two businesses; we also have another catering company, Green Island Catering, that’s very busy. My husband decided he would return to college full-time to do a degree in engineering,” explained Jacinta.

Wholly Cow focused on having a zero-waste kitchen, with eco-friendly and suitable packaging, a key factor, according to Jacinta.

“Nothing was bought in; we would make all of our sauces, our pickles, our chips and our burgers from scratch”, she added.

However, the change in food prices was still noted in the past couple of months at Wholly Cow. Jacinta stated with her almost 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry; she had “never seen price hikes as high as they’ve been recent.”

“I think it’s just making it impossible for smaller businesses; it is the only word to describe it”, Jacinta continued, “The price of dairy and chicken has gone up by 60%. Our burger buns went up in price overnight while shrinking in size because of the grain crisis to do with the war in Ukraine... it will be almost impossible for small businesses to keep sustaining all these increased costs.”

Back and forth with suppliers

For The Lighthouse, a similar concept of fresh, healthy dishes is also key to the business. Mark Legh took over the Abbeygate Street cafe in 2017 alongside his wife, Kerry.

“We’ve been over it for five years, and we opened this store [Terryland store] in June 2020 because we needed a bit more room to expand and do other things”, explained Mark.

For The Lighthouse, the costs are slightly cushioned in the sense of not buying meat or fish. Still, Mark admits that “the process of getting nuts and seeds and beans, the staples that we use, they’ve gone by crazy amounts.”

This has meant sitting down with suppliers and doing a lot of back and forth to find out who has the best price, according to Mark.

Unfortunately, it’s meant stopping trade with smaller suppliers. “We used three farms in the countryside, and we had to drop one”, explained Mark. “So we only use two now, which is grim because all the farmers are smaller independent businesses who rely on smaller independent businesses to thrive.”

Rising energy prices are also a consideration for The Light house. Mark explained that the food increases made sense “because most of the food, whether we like it or not, comes from a long way away. Whether it’s nuts or oils or seeds..and with petrol prices going up, it makes sense. But with energy prices, it’s a bit like they’re milking it.”

Happy regulars and staff are key

Yet, there’s a common thread that pulls the industry together. “If you work in this industry, you usually have an outgoing

personality, you love people, and you thrive off interaction with people,” said Jacinta.

For her and Valentine, the most fulfilling part of the job in Wholly Cow was “building relationships with all the regulars. That’s the part that made us very sad when we were closing. But we’re also really excited for the next chapter.”

For Matt, the regulars are also key as they provide good feed back to the cafe. He also states from the beginning that he and Kerry have always tried to provide the best work environment possible for their staff.

“We’ve always tried our best to be nice people and look after the people you employ, so you want to come into work and work

for nice people,”

Mark said. “It’s self-perpetuating because then you get a buzz from working from the people.

“So that keeps Kerry and me going, looking after the people we employ. And the vast majority of people we employ do the same back, so it’s a nice kind of a buzz.”

While there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight any time soon for rising food prices, the regulars will do the best they can to make sure that their favourite spot stays open.

The price of dairy and chicken has gone up by 60%. Our burger buns went up in price overnight while shrinking in size because of the grain crisis to do with the war in Ukraine.”

FOR

Haunted Hauls

Five places to get Halloween decor and goodies in Galway

By Rachel Garvey

Spooky Season is finally here. Time to start hanging up spiderwebs, carving pumpkins and generally get ready for the scariest night of the year. If you haven’t started decorating yet, don’t worry, here’s some of the best places to get Halloween decorations right now.

TK Maxx

Always the first place you should check and usually the first place to have Hal loween stock in at all each year. Their selection is always changing and always interesting with everything you need from spooky snow globes, doormats, kitchen ware, pumpkin scented candles, welcome mats, baking kits and much more. Be warned, if you decide to browse their Halloween section it will be very hard to leave empty handed.

Flying Tiger Tiger is one of those places that you can’t pass without ducking your head in for a quick look and their Halloween stock is no different. Right now they have a selec tion of luminous ghosts and pumpkins, skull shot glasses for those Halloween parties, pumpkin mugs, talking mirrors and Halloween balloons. Lots of fun and unique Halloween decorations at affordable prices.

Home Store and More

If you want to do some serious Halloween shopping, Home Store and More has your back. They have a big section of the shop dedicated to Halloween stock and the walls are covered with ghouls, ghosts, witches and terrifying demon children. They even have a big tent set up with some very spooky stock inside which is also a great place for a Halloween photo. There’s even projectors and eye ball doorbells that swivel around when they’re rung.

Fresh Pumpkins

Decorative pumpkins can found at sev eral places around Galway such as Yes flowers and Ernie’s and help you give your Halloween decorations something special. However, if you’re looking for pumpkins to carve, Tesco already has ghost pumpkins and large pumpkins that are perfect for carving and if you’re thinking that it’s a bit early to be carving pumpkins, I say that Halloween is only once a year, let’s get the most out of it.

Your trick-or-treating Halloween bucket list

By Rachel Garvey

Between working and studying, we never seem to set aside time for leisure, for relax ing. Our brains need to be able to switch off and take a couple moments of rest. These Halloween activities are recom mended for such leisure times and some are even therapeutic. Welcome to your very own Halloween bucket-list.

Pumpkin carving

Everyone hail to the pumpkin song; a clas sic lyric from a classic Tim Burton cartoon which must be followed by an evening of pumpkin carving. Supermarkets, small business flower shops and fruit and vege table stalls have all you need when it comes to choosing your perfect pumpkin. Small, medium or large; you pick what’s right for you. Retailers don’t stop there; they now sell a range of beautiful-coloured gourds, ghost pumpkins and green pumpkins. Carving kits are also available, but sometimes all you need is a sharp knife and spoon to get the job done. This is the time to sit at home, a Halloween movie on in the background and some brewing inspiration into how your pumpkins face or design will look. Therapeutic? Yes.

Brack that tray up

There is full awareness of how the original phrase sounded, but it was only the right thing to do to keep the theme Halloween and spooky. Fall season is the perfect time

to get creative with pastries or food and even drinks. Experiment with your pumpkins by adding pumpkin spices or pureed pumpkin into your mixtures. Use your decorating skills and decorative icing to create skeletons and spider webs on top of your cakes or muf fins; you have the complete control over this. It’s also the best season to take advantage of getting that ring from the traditional brack and winking at your partner while you slip the ring on your engagement finger.

Movie Marathons

Horror movies are for ever day of the year, but there’s something incredibly wholesome about watching them during spooky season when you’re eating your spooky delicacies and the carved pumpkins are lit with tealights. There is nothing better than putting your feet up and binging either your favourite horror movie franchise or a family friendly Halloween movie. This is relaxation in its purest form.

Scare attractions

Halloween season in Ireland is the best and only time to visit scare attractions around the country and it’s a great activity to do with your friends or brave family members. If you’re an adrenaline fanatic or want to get your pulse racing then there’s two very famous scare attractions that are now open in Ireland; The Nightmare Realm and Far maphobia. The Nightmare Realm is based in Dublin’s city centre and Farmaphobia in Meath; both frightening and fantastic spots to enhance your spooky season experiences.

Photo by David Menidrey on Unsplash

Victims Forgotten

By Tara Trevaskis Hoskin Co-Opinion Editor

Evan Peters has received praise near and far for his new role as Jeffrey Dahmer in the new Netflix series based on the killer’s life. He has also received a whole new slew of adoring fans for his performance.

Like everything that happens on Tik Tok, it is fair to say that in some cases this has been taken too far. Not the fact that fans are lusting over Peters but

Errol Lindsey who was just 19 when Dahmer murdered him is depicted in the series. His family has come out and said that the series has retraumatised them. It appears that none of the victims’ families were consulted in the making of the series.

The series focuses heavily on Dahmer’s childhood, his feelings, and his upbring ing. I feel that the start of the show depicts Dahmer very much as a loner and some one we should feel sorry for.

Are energy credits the way forward?

By Steven Fox

Budget 2023 has come and gone, and the most pressing issue have been housing, and of course, energy.

In an effort to alleviate the burden that rising costs are placing on house holds nationwide, an energy credit of €600 (paid in three €200 instalments) has been announced for all domestic electricity customers.

Fundamentally, while the tax credits will help customers to keep up with their electricity spending, if they are not matched by a price cap directed at energy profits, they will amount to nothing more than a subsidy for these companies.

never gained a cult following, the media never painted them as misunderstood or explained their stories. Their families grieved in silence as Dahmer rose to almost celebrity status which is now concreted in this series.”

This will no doubt alleviate the burden in the short term. However, it is very much a short-term solution. It is highly unlikely that credits will continue year on year, due to the strain it would put on the Exchequer (which is already in a pre carious position due to its over-reliance on corporate tax receipts).

Meanwhile, energy companies continue to record incomprehensible profits. For instance, the ESB recorded revenue of €3.7 billion in the first half of 2022. While a wind fall tax on these profits has been announced

more so the fact that they are excusing Jeffrey Dahmer’s actions through doing so. Fans have been sharing videos from the show stating things like they “would let Jeffrey kill them” and saying that they understood why real-life victims left with Dahmer.

Dahmer took polaroid photographs of his victims after murdering and dis membering them. This is portrayed in the show but of course with fake photo graphs. Recently the real polaroids have been leaked on Reddit. This has given rise to a new trend on TikTok in which people give their first reactions to seeing real pictures.

Jeffrey Dahmer murdered 17 people, many of whom were gay, black, and Hispanic. In 1980s America these people were less likely to be protected by police making it easier for Dahmer to get away with his crimes. They had personalities, families, lives, and the right to live. Yet now they are being reduced to victims of the cruel and inhumane way in which they died.

I did not feel that the victims were given the same grace in this show. It makes me question that if Jeffrey himself had been a Black or Hispanic gay man who murdered 17 white people would he have been given the same grace?

Many mass murderers have received somewhat of a cult following. While imprisoned fans sent Dahmer love letters, art, and even cash. Is creating a tv-series like this not just giving more acclaim to a man who does not deserve it?

The victims of Dahmer’s crimes never gained a cult following, the media never painted them as misunderstood or explained their stories. Their families grieved in silence as Dahmer rose to almost celebrity status which is now concreted in this series.

The glamorisation of true crime has removed the humanity of the people who suffered. Not only this but when families are not consulted it creates further hurt on top of the atrocities they have already faced.

The victims of Dahmer’s crimes

Murderer Jeffrey Dahmer’s Police Mugshot: Photo by GDM168, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Budget falls short for students but welcome changes in place

By Darragh Nolan Deputy Editor

In any context other than a generational cost of living crisis, a reduction in third-level fees might have been seen as a seismic shift in government policy.

contribution will perhaps go no further than keeping the house heated and the lights turned on this winter. This aptly sums up Budget 2023 for students – welcome change, but far from comprehensive or extensive enough to make a real difference.

Fee reductions apply only to undergraduates. The once-off cost-of-living payment for PhDs falls well short of what they need while their stipends remain so low. Some measures won’t kick in until the next academic year from September 2023. It seems that the government knew they couldn’t stand by and do nothing. But with everybody strug gling across the board, what they could spare for students amounts to a drop in the ocean. What stings most is a clear disregard of the problems facing student renters. Rent relief coming in the form of a €500 tax credit is

There are many students working enough to pay their way, but not enough to pay tax.

All that before men tioning that one €500 credit for rent in this property market

is measly. The latest Daft.ie rent price report found the average cost of renting a single room in Galway City was €588.

Not even a month’s rent covered by a renter’s tax credit in the middle of an accommodation crisis.

Short-term solutions don’t offer much help on the future outlook on accommodation.

Tax credits and one-time payments are all well and good, but the student accommodation crisis won’t be over until we see plans for an adequate supply of affordable, purpose-built student housing.

The situation is worse still if you’re renting as a master’s student. No break on the soaring cost of rent, no leeway in the payment of substantial fees. No support whatsoever in this Budget for someone paying €600 and upwards for rent and fees well over double that of an undergraduate.

But this isn’t a case of whataboutery, pining for what someone else got while complaining that others got nothing. Post-Budget discourse too often falls foul of begrudging other people for getting the help they need while others were left out in the cold.

This isn’t a competition between different cohorts of soci ety. Everyone should be provided with the necessary support, especially amidst this crisis.

Undergrad fee reductions, once-off double grant payments, permanent SUSI increases and all these new permanent measures should be seen as a welcome change for all. This may represent a long-term step change for government where barriers to education can be broken down even further over time.

Blame falls at the feet of the government for not taking into account that their new measures will have so many slipping through the cracks.

One small step was taken in the right direction with Budget 2023. There remains a long road ahead before we reach a point where young people can access education and accommodation without barriers.

All aboard the digital train

By Kate Regan

Technology has become part of our vernacular, and it is often that we hear talk like “I’ll revolut you for that later”, “what’s your PPSN?” and “send me a screenshot of the details when you get a chance”. Afterall, we live in a digital world, and one that is constantly becoming more automated.

As a generation X, I view technological change as a positive; self-service check-out systems are more efficient, and tapping is far handier than carrying a wad of cash.

Albeit these conclusions, I am now realising that contactless payments aren’t the most convenient for everyone. Our society evolves to accommodate those of us who use and have access to technology, but what about those who do not?

Although it is a minority group, we have advanced so far in digital izing our systems that it is no longer a choice to own a smartphone or make an online banking account, but a necessity. Going about daily life without computer access is an onerous chore as such.

While I acknowledge that elderly people did not grow up with technology and therefore must make more efforts to gain familiarity with it; these are not the only people being excluded. The group stretches a lot wider than that.

There are some who choose to live without technology by choice, as well as others who don’t have the resources to get access to the internet.

Once, you could call up the local plumber from the phone book and walk into an NDLS centre to book your driving test. Now, phone books are no longer used. Moreover, to book a driv ing test, you need to make an NDLS account, register all twelve of your completed lessons, and thus gain digital approval from your instructor.

There are fewer and fewer alternative methods for those who do not have access to the digital world. Booking holidays, regis tering new employment on Revenue, making appointments at the hairdresser; all of these systems are now online.

Covid too contributed majorly to our robotic way of life. Amid numerous lockdowns, our schooling took place via Blackboard, Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Going out with friends became lengthy facetimes, and Joe Wick’s workouts were the new gym classes.

The shift from face-to-face to virtual was so impactful that our society has not since recovered from it. According to an Inde pendent article, as of January 2022, 90% of 35–44 year olds said that they would prefer to continue to work remotely following the ease of restrictions.

In addition, many businesses, Twitter for example, have perma nently deployed a work-from-home policy, as stated by a Hays article.

It goes without saying that the option to work remotely brought about great benefit to many; less commuting, more flexible working hours and increased comfort inclusive.

However, all of these changes only cater for the tech-users of the world, and without proficiency in computers, few job opportunities remain. Certain people now lack the confidence to apply for new jobs, or switch career paths. The prospect of entering an all-computer workplace is daunting and discourag ing for the non-tech users amongst us.

This reflection begs the question: Is our society slowly margin alizing those who refuse to jump on this exclusive digital train? Are we lending certain members of our country to embarrass ment and shame at not being tech-savvy?

I believe that it is now a necessary requirement to have access to a computer of sorts, and I question whether or not this is fair. Perhaps one should have the right to refuse this digital world and carry on life as it was.

Nevertheless, it will not be long until the cashier solely accepts card, and all forms of identification are held in one online profile. Maybe we are heading in the right direction, and we should encourage everybody to adapt to this new technological change.

One thing is for sure, if you’re not on board on time, the train will not wait for you.

Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash

Lizzo’s Flute Fiasco: Keeping Instruments in the Hands of Musicians

by Seán Lyons

As the world burns around them, Amer ican right-wing commentators found disgruntlement in the unlikeliest of places last week; Lizzo playing a flute. After the international pop star and trained flautist played a 200-year old crystal flute on stage while twerking with enthusiasm, a minor ity became enraged. The flute was once gifted to James Madison, a US founding father, former president and more inter estingly, not a flute player. Accusations of “desecrating American history” and calls for all involved to “be deported” soon abounded within an evidently embittered, nationalistic and racist cohort. In spite of the instrument’s very existence being

news to most people prior to the incident, it quickly became a symbol of traditional American values with Lizzo’s use of it viewed as reflective of an anti-patriotic mindset prevalent in the country.

While Lizzo was the target of much crit icism, the rancour felt by her detractors seems to have been less about how she played it or that she played it and more about that it was played at all. The flute ordinarily “lives” in the Library of Congress and the outcry seems to suggest that many view the flute as having transitioned from “instrument to be played” to “artefact to be observed”. This is a logical stance to take; as instruments age, they become increas ingly fragile and if they are rare or unique, it is common sense that they should be preserved to prevent further damage. An incident on the set of Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight (2015) in which Kurt Rus sell unknowingly destroyed an 1870s Martin

guitar believing it to be a prop prompted the Martin company to impose a blanket ban on lending out vintage instruments. The story serves as a dark reminder of the risks inherent in giving access to histori cally significant instruments. The curator of the Ashmolean Museum which boasts a large collection of Stradivarius violins described the possibility of allowing their violins to be played as “unthinkable”. While preservation is noble and wise, it can lend itself to a fear-induced form of gatekeeping. Unlike a statue or a paint ing, an instrument is a utilitarian object designed to be played and one could argue that not playing a historically significant instrument is a far greater disservice to its legacy than playing it. Lizzo claimed to be the first person to ever play the Madison flute and we cannot help but ask why. What is an instrument for if not to be played? Anyone with a degree of instrument knowledge will tell you that as long as an instrument is routinely serviced and maintained, the best way to preserve it is to play it. Despite this, Mozart’s pianos lie in museums and in pri vate collections just like Louis Armstrong’s trumpets, Jimi Hendrix’s guitars and James Madison’s neglected flute. This need not be the case as evidenced by instances of vintage instruments being passed onto new musicians. To use a domestic example, legendary uilleann piper Liam O’Flynn passed away in 2018 and bequeathed his two sets of early twentieth-century uil leann pipes to Na Piobairí Uilleann (the national body for the promotion of the uilleann pipes). NPU has given the sets to two deserving pipers on “lifelong loans”. Rather than being locked away, music will continue to flow through these historic instruments for years to come.

The powerful if unintended message delivered by Lizzo’s performance was this; instruments which are aesthetically beau tiful and of historically significant origin hold obvious value when displayed but hold far more value when played. Such is the nature of the internet that the perfor mance incited impassioned debate about race, patriotism and historical revisionism. Once the hype and hysteria is stripped back however, it is clear that the flute stunt was entirely innocuous; no grand political statement was made and no harm was done to the instrument. If Lizzo achieved anything, it is that she raised questions around whether instruments of significant historical origin should be treated like any other “artefact” and be locked behind a glass case for all eternity – or remain, well, instruments.

Lizzo's flute debacle:should

instruments

Doomsday began when Club Penguin died

By Syakira Nazri Arts and Fashion Editor

Earning coins through mini-games to afford glammed-up igloos, chatting to other kids on opposite sides of the world and multicoloured puffles to match your penguin, these were the days of truly blissful ignorance and imagination. The friends made online and internet-based play were a compensating haven for those of us growing up in otherwise child-free

who look up to influential figures is apparent.

Now, I do not advocate for censorship or sanitisation of social media in most cases, nor do I believe it to be an effec tive solution. However, having dedicated spaces where kids can simply be kids is important for many reasons: two of which are internet literacy and cyber safety. Sites made with children in mind are generally well-monitored, advocate for safe inter net practices, and give parents access to account information. When a guardian is involved in their child’s internet activity they can then appropriately advise them on safe internet practices such as keeping personal details strictly private and to not blindly trust strangers on the web.

The most current and popular example of such a space is Roblox – my younger siblings and their friends can play and talk about common gaming interests, while learning to use the internet wisely under adult supervision. It also has opportuni ties to learn code and play games with educational aspects.

Caution must be very seriously under taken of course, and no place on the internet is entirely safe to be present on, but then there lies the point of internet lit eracy. Without experience under guidance, how else does one learn? Now that Neopets, Animal Jam and other child-friendly spaces are declining in popularity, what will become of the internet kids of the future?

homes and housing estates.

I’ll come clean from the start: I was always more of a Moshi Monsters kid. I gave my purple Luvli the very best of everything, starting from the eye-catching wall art to the dedicated Moshling garden. The general experience of kid-oriented and friendly spaces online are a core memory for many of us who grew up in the 2000s.

At first, I didn’t consider it to be any significant influence on how I am now. After all, “the internet isn’t real life”, or so I’ve been told my whole life by adults. However, I’ve recently observed an inter esting change of dynamics in children on the internet today in comparison to ten years ago.

With the rise of TikTok and the aging of other now-established social media such as Instagram, YouTube, and even Snapchat, children saturate online spaces more visibly now than ever before. I’ve noticed a difference in the attitudes of these kids first-hand, and they some times seem more serious, less carefree – the way ten-year-olds typically should be in theory.

Social media made with adults in mind are not safe spaces for children to inter act with other children. Instead, they are exposed to the unbridled complexities and politics of adult-targeted media. Often blanketed with a façade of glamour that is associated with maturity, the appeal for kids

By Kate Denny

“ When a guardian is involved in their child’s internet activity they can then appropriately advise them on safe internet practices such as keeping personal details strictly private and to not blindly trust strangers on the web.

Samhain and its ancient roots

By Rachel Garvey Features Editor

October is here, but when it comes to October 31st, the name has many varia tions, for example Halloween, All Hallow’s Eve, Hallowmas Eve and All Hallow’s Fire.

Being a huge advocate for the spooky holiday, it was only mandatory that I was in possession of Halloween history books and other material. A lot of the information gathered in regards to the history of Samhain is taken from The His tory of America’s Darkest Holiday by David J. Skal and Vintage Halloween Reader by The Better Days Books company and it is the most interesting material I have ever read – history can be made fun to learn after all. To make this easier to read, it’s been broken up into Did you know? sections

Did you know?

The word Halloween derives from the middle English word Hallowen meaning hollow or sacred. Then there came the contraction of the last letters in Halloween from evening to even to e’en. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word Hallowe’en came up in 1785 in a sentence of ‘ The night is

Hallowe’en, the morn is Hallowday’.

Did you know?

The belief in Ireland during Samhain was that for the rest of the year the evil powers lived in a cave of Cruachan in Connacht; the hell-gate of Ireland. This cave was unlocked on November’s Eve to let out spirits and copper-coloured birds which killed farm animals. These spirits stole babies and left in their place changelings who were old in wickedness and possessed superhuman cunning and skill in music, but the only way to rid these demon children was to ill-treat them so their own kind would come to get them and leave the right ones back.

Did you know?

Our modern word of bonfire comes from the words bone and fire meaning fire of bones which is why animal bones were tossed in. The sacred fires were believed to keep evil spirits away which is why people stayed close to the fire and wore animal heads and skins as a form of disguise. When the fires died, it was considered

good luck to take home an ember to relight in your hearth. On the following day, the ashes were spread over the fields as protection against spirits who would cause the next season’s crops to fail.

Did you know?

Samhain was a Celtic tradition. On the Eve of Samhain, people would go from house to house asking for food offerings and kindling for fires. The following day of Samhain, it being November 1st, hearths were extinguished and larger fires were lit on hilltops in honour to make offerings to the gods.

Did you know?

Nuts like apples are symbols of the harvest and are plentiful at the end of October. One should not be surprised if they find an apple in their bag while doing their rounds of trick ‘r treating. Apples were also a medium for divination; by sitting at a mirror and slicing an apple into nine pieces, one could see their future lover in the mirror behind them over their shoulder. That also linked in with apple-bobbing which has its roots in fortune-telling.

What’s on in Galway?

A list of fun events throughout October

By Syakira Nazri Arts and Fashion Editor

Galway’s cultural presence in the arts and autumn festivities is not a weak one – we’re blessed with a lively and active city. I have compiled here a list of activities to take advantage of – so don’t let the weather get you down!

Running from October 7 to the 31st, catch some iconic horror classics at Pálás Cinema in the run-up to Halloween. Featuring timeless films from Hollywood’s golden era including Dracula, The Mummy, The Bride of Frankenstein and more, what better way to escape the grad ually chilling months ahead than to enjoy rainy nights indoors with a hot dog from Doghouse and a good old black and white screening?

Galway Pumpkin Patch

Located at Castletaylor Demense in Adrahan, make a day of pumpkin picking with family and friends at Ms Whelan’s family farm. Refresh ments and spooky treats are to be provided, along with activities for everyone such as games and face painting. Bookings are even available on Halloween night, so don’t miss out and book early!

Meet Me at Sundown Concerts

“A series of intimate musical adventures at two breath taking venues”; starring Paul Noonan (Bell X1), Gemma Hayes, Ew Harris, Mick Flannery, Cathy Davey and Dani Larkin, embark on a musical journey at Orlagh House and Claregalway Castle from October 10 to the 25th. There are only one hundred tickets per show, available for 35 euro each on eventbrite.ie

Baboró International Arts Festival for Children

The star appearance here, this arts festival is a huge, dedicated effort in bringing children into the arts. There are fifty live events over ten days (October 14-23) aimed at fostering crea

Der Lauf by Belgium's Vélocimanes-Associés-Le Cirque du Bout du Monde

tivity through “performance, play, visual arts, workshops and storytelling”. An important free event happening is the stories of the Mincéirí, on invitation by Leanne McDonagh and Oein DeBhairduin.

Some other events include Chalk About, Der Lauf and The Glasshouse Chalk About is a Curious Seed production involving dance, chalk and chat; a playfully moving look at self-identity. Der Lauf is a fantastical world of bizarre games with two circus performers designed to “enthral young and old alike”. Finally, The Glasshouse is a new dance show choreographed by Róisín Whelan, guaranteed to enchant viewers of all ages; its theme of “courage of the human spirit, the value of friendship and life’s determination to survive” is sure to resonate.

Photo: Blaz Photo on Unsplash

Night Shift — an Irish Traveller woman’s experience

By Paris Ediagbonya

Night Shift, written by Irish Traveller playwright and activist Rosaleen McDonagh and directed by actor Thomas Connors, is a poignant depiction of inter-ethnic relationships as seen through the lens of an Irish Traveller woman.

Performed by an expertly chosen cast, this subversive con temporary drama presents a story highlighting the cultural clashes that arise between Noreen and her Polish partner Piotr. Rosaleen McDonagh is no stranger to depicting societal issues in her pieces, from domestic violence to racism, as seen in her 2021 play Walls and Windows. Her script for Night Shift brings that same unsettling authenticity to the stripped-back stage of The Mick Lally Theatre.

In this pocket of thespian talent, the audience was presented with a human narrative where love, cruelty and humour came unas sumingly together to give a voice to the Irish Traveller experience.

This slice-of-life production begins restlessly with Noreen (Chris tine Collins) and Piotr (Thomas Connors) waking up next to each other in his bed. Noreen is frantic. She has overslept and is on the receiving end of many missed calls from her mother (Mary McDonagh).

The scene introduces the audience to the primary source of tension between Noreen and Piotr—the secrecy of their relation ship. Piotr doesn’t understand why Noreen can’t tell her mother about their relationship. They are adults and have known each other for eight years, working night shifts together at the hotel.

Noreen explains how her mother and her family wouldn’t understand her dating outside of the community. She fears this will bring shame to her family. Here we are intimately acquainted with the tug of war between society’s expectations and that of Noreen’s own family. This puts a strain on their relationship, as

she leaves Piotr on the bed in a flurry to catch up with her mother.

Noreen’s mother was sat in the center of the stage at the kitchen table clutching her handbag with her shoulders drawn as she recounted the series of events which threw her family into a tumultuous reign of despair. Through gasps from the audience, we learn of Noreen’s abusive ex-husband and the injuries she would suffer at his hands after they got married.

This monologue by Noreen’s mother reaches a harrowing climax when she details how this abuse had led to Noreen’s hospitalisation. She was completely unrecognisable. Noreen’s father, upon seeing Noreen in the hospital, and believing she wouldn’t survive, sought out Noreen’s ex-husband and killed him in a fit of blinding rage.

While Noreen’s mother tells this, she holds onto a picture of her husband which was set on the kitchen table. Clutching the frame as she says, “They think we are a simple people, but we have such complicated lives.”

This gut-wrenching tale on the realities of domestic violence was expertly delivered with the audience hanging on to each distressing detail. Subsequent monologues led by Noreen and Piotr delved deeper into the issues of violence, racism and the struggle to conform to societal expectations.

Noreen shares her experience in the aftermath of her abusive relationship. How people within her community would talk down on her, never to her face, but she would always find out through family. Noreen also spoke of her guilt for the unending shame she felt to have put upon her family because of her past relationship.

Meanwhile, Piotr expressed how he does not understand Noreen, or what it means to be a Traveller. He spoke fondly of their picnic dates hidden away in the garden, but he wanted more. To hold hands in public or watch a film in the cinema; activities Noreen was vehemently against for fear they would be seen and talked about.

The audience is met with unlikely moments of humour between the ensemble when they are pulled together from their individual monologues. Noreen’s mother shares with her daughter that she has cancer. To distract Noreen from this revelation she pulls a positive preg nancy test from her handbag and confronts her with it from which a humorous row ensues. These moments of incredulous banter, break up the grave undertones of the production, offering the audience a multifarious view into an under-documented female experience.

One of the most impactful moments of the play arises when Noreen powerfully expresses that her and Piotr’s unborn child is a Traveller. She condemns him for participating in racist conver sations about Travellers with his colleagues and in a passionate outburst says that the next time Piotr laughs at those remarks, he should realise that they are talking about his own child. This argument leaves their relationship in an uncertain place. Piotr walked off stage which left Noreen distinctly alone.

The production closes precariously with much unresolved between the pair, leaving the audience with a deliberate sense of unease that was not unwelcome. Night Shift is a raw display of performance activism that is frank in its portrayal of the struggles experienced within the Irish Traveller community.

Rosaleen McDonagh was in the audience on the closing night and beamed at the cast as they gave their final bows. She eagerly took a picture with the cast and crew while the audience stood for applause and cheers that resonated throughout the theatre.

In Night Shift we become intimately

with the tug of war

Boybands of the decade

By Roshni D’Souza

60 years ago, four men walked into the stu dio to make their first single. They planned on releasing a song called ‘How You Do It,’ but that didn’t sound quite good. After many re-recordings and deliberations, they went ahead and released a different song called ‘Love Me Do.’ That song ended up shooting those boys to fame.

Those four young men were The Bea tles. Many boybands came before them,

Zabdiel de Jesus and Christopher Valez. Their former member Joel Pimento left in 2021. They made an impact in the Latin music scene.

The band broke up this year to pursue solo projects (Joel Pimento also seems to have not gotten the memo) but they still will work together for an album, a tour, and an acting project with Disney+. Some songs worth listening to are ‘Reg gaeton Lento,’ ‘Se Vuelve Loca,’ and ‘Para Enamorarte.’

mostly known by their stage names – RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook. Jimin and Jungkook kept their real names as their stage names because they, like me, are ‘not like other boys.’

BTS is known for being the first group to make a breakthrough in the West despite making their music in Korean. They debuted in 2013, but their fame spread internationally only in 2017. Cur rently they are on hiatus to focus on solo projects.

Even though in my opinion each song of theirs is worth listening to, the ones I would forcibly make you listen to are ‘Black Swan,’ ‘Spring Day’ and ‘Silver Spoon.’

Seventeen

Although their name is seventeen, the band consists of only 13 members. This is because they were formed through a

and many existed in their time. But they are the ones known for starting the fan culture surrounding boybands. Hundreds of people thronged the places they per formed in.

After all this time, few boybands have stood out like them. Let’s take a look at these bands:

One Direction

The British band first formed in 2010 went on to rule the hearts of many till 2016, after which took a hiatus. Member Zayn Malik (who probably didn’t get the memo about the hiatus) left before they broke apart. Currently Harry, Louis, Liam and Niall, the members who remained, are pursuing solo projects. Their most famous member Harry Styles also dabbles in the acting industry.

Some of their songs worth listening to are ‘History’, ‘What Makes You Beautiful’, and ‘One Thing.’

CNCO

This Spanish boyband was actually based in Florida. They consisted of members Richard Camacho, Eric Brian Colon,

The Vamps

This band is probably the only one that made a mark in the English pop scene when One Direction was active. They are also the first band on this list so far that is active. The band consists of four members, including Brad Simpson, James Brit tain-McVey, Connor Ball and Tristan Evans.

Some of their songs worth listening to are ‘Somebody to You,’ ‘All Night’ and ‘Oh, Cecilia.’

BTS

Usually, they would either occupy the first or last position on such a list. But since I’m ‘not like other girls,’ they are second to last. The group consists of seven members

reality show and after the finale, four of the 17 members backed out for personal reasons. The remaining 13 debuted in 2015. Like BTS, they are a K-pop group.

Okay so now I’m going to list out the names of all 13 members. Ready? Here we go: Seungcheol, DK, Dino, Mingyu, Vernon, Hoshi, Woozi, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Seungkwan, and The8. We’re done.

Songs of theirs worth listening to are ‘Very Nice,’ ‘Cheers,’ and ‘Fear.’

All of these boybands have had an impact worth mentioning in the past decade. And no matter what part of soci ety you belong to, their role in how we listen to music cannot be denied.

One Direction

Seventeen

CNCO

The Vamps

Damian Browne lands in Galway Read Joseph Murray’s coverage of the event on p. 37

The maroon and white of his native Galway and the tri-colour await Damian Browne on his arrival into the Galway City docks

Damian Browne takes the time to get selfies with the fans who came out to welcome him home to Ireland following his historic row from New York City to Galway

Damian Browne is escorted as he makes his way towards the awaiting crowd during his homecoming to Galway City Damian Browne greets crowd at his triumphant homecoming to the Port of Galway

Crowds begin to gather down in Galway docks in preparation for Damian Browne’s homecoming

Just Eat Giveaway

All photos by Lisa Hamilton Chief Photographer

Autumn is a season well suited to the University of Galway campus

UG Hoodies for a tenner? Yes please!

Mooju Giveaway in the SU office

Students getting competitive at the football match happening at the Just Eat pop-up in the Quad

Students having a laugh playing some football at the Just Eat Giveaway on the Quad

Just Eat serving up some great giveaways and prizes to the students at the University of Galway

Need a Break? Here Are Some Top Tips on Self-Care During the Student Lifestyle

By Lucy Peoples

So, you’re feeling stressed out and its only October? Believe me, it’s relatable. I think that the most important thing to do is to stay calm and take care of yourself in these times with exams, assignments and work.

Here are some personal ways that I use to kick back and relax and hopefully you find some of them to be useful. My advice to you is to follow the 5 Step Self-Care Routine that I have devised to help you relax in these trying times.

Step 1 – Feeling: A Guide to Feeling Relaxed

What makes you feel good? You can’t go wrong with a delicious face mask, a freshly shaved body and a tan. I know that these rituals can sometimes be viewed as chores or unnecessary beauty routines but they are a personal favourite of mine to feel confident and comfortable in my own skin. I adore the feeling of getting into fresh bed sheets with a brand-new candle and a face mask to chase the blues away.

Step 2 – Fawn Yourself: Your Favourite Things to Fawn Over

Everyone has their own favourite thing to do when they’re upset or stressed. My favourite ritual is to put on a comforting

movie to distract myself from the worries of studies and work. This could be any film depending on the season. Hocus Pocus during the Halloween season, Love Actually in the winter and a simple Harry Potter flick if you’re feeling lonely. It helps me sometimes. So, chill out by choosing a great Netflix film based on your childhood nostalgia or simply to remind you of good Memories.

Step 3 – Freak Flags Fly:An Enjoyable Hobby to Brighten Your Day

What cheers you up more than anything? It could be sushi with a friend, or a walk with a good Spotify playlist or reading a book with a Ben and Jerry’s slowly defrosting beside your salt lamp. Whatever completes your zen is the way to go. A glass of wine and a good book, a morning swim in Salthill or a cycle along the docks after an iced coffee. Whatever makes you feel whole and grounded – this is the best way to de-stress after a long week, to come back to life and get back in touch with your inner Self.

Step 4 – Feng Shui: Because Being Affected By Our Surroundings Is a Thing

Do the laundry. Light the candle. Spend the €4.50 on the tiny cactus in Penneys simply because you feel it completes the room. We are so affected by our surroundings, and this can sometimes go unnoticed. If you see books and clothes piling up on THAT chair in your bedroom, it could be time to think about arranging a less hectic form of organisation. You’ll thank yourself later.

Step 5 – Freedom Fighters:A Go-Getter Attitude En-Route to Freedom

When stresses and worries pile up, procrastination is often the way to go. However, one of the most important forms of self-care is being on top of things such as deadlines, errands and college reading. Putting off something as simple as going to the shop can lead to frustration in the evening when there is no food to make dinner, resulting in an expensive takeaway order on a Monday night. My personal form of self-care with regards to college is whenever I see a deadline on my calendar, I make it my mission to get that particular assignment done weeks in advance of its due date. It’s something I’ve always found that my future self is so grateful for; that feeling of freedom when the work is out of sight and out of mind.

So, there you have it! A simple but effective guide on how to take care of yourself during stressful times.

Quick and easy self-care tips for a busy mind

By Eimear O’ Dwyer

Semester one always seems to become overloaded with study, events, due dates and general life around this halfway point. You may feel a bit behind, a bit lost and a bit smothered by work. Nevertheless, it is still so important to look after yourself. Here are some tips that might help you to declutter your mind and boost your productivity!

Get out in nature

Being near an open body of water is scientifically proven to lower feelings of stress and depression. Head to Blackrock for a swim or walk along the Prom and breathe in the sea air to help clear your busy mind.

Walk to the Mutton Island Lighthouse, take a walk or cycle to Dangan and enjoy the views of Menlo Castle and the River Corrib while surrounded by trees. Getting out for a walk-in nature does wonders for your mood and your concentration.

Laugh

Maintaining the ability to laugh when times get stressful is so important. Catch up with a friend who cracks you up, watch something funny or listen to a funny podcast.

‘The Laughs of Your Life’ with Doireann Garrihy is my go-to podcast for a good belly laugh. Doireann invites influential guests to share their memories of laughter and their funniest moments. Another podcast full of humour is ‘My Therapist Ghosted Me’ with Joanne McNally and Vogue Williams. The pair give questionable advice to listeners on dating, embarrassing moments and much more.

Unplug

There truly is always something important to do, an email to reply to, a blackboard notification to read, an assignment to write. But, unplugging from your screens regularly can actually help to boost your concentration and motivation. Indulge in a good book. Make a cup of tea or your favourite meal. Go for a run, do some yoga, draw or write. Do something just for you, something where you can let go and not think about anything else even for a few minutes.

Write it out

Writing up a basic plan for the day can help you to feel more in control of the day ahead and put your mind at ease. If you feel stuck in an anxious thought loop, write down everything that is worrying you and cross out what you can’t control. Then do something from the list that you can control.

Write down things that you are thankful for. If you find this hard to do, think about all the little things that make up your day-to-day life and why they are important to you. Writing out your thoughts can help bring a sense of order and purpose when life and college feels overwhelming.

Taking some time for yourself helps to improve other parts of your life such as study, relationships and mental wellbeing!

Getting my life back after an abusive relationship

This piece contains themes of a sensitive nature. Reader discretion is advised.

By Anonymous

I was in an abusive relationship for three years, starting when I was 17.

It may sound odd, but talking about abusive relationships can only do good. Because it does not matter how smart, strong, and independent we are. We can all meet the wrong person at the wrong time.

Funny enough, I didn’t realise I had been in an abusive relationship until I talked to a therapist one year after the breakup. I told her about how problems started one day at a McDonald’s, when after checking my Whatsapp he got angry at me for replying to some random guy’s texts.

First question my therapist asked was: “Why was he looking into your phone?”.

It is that simple. When personal spaces are overstepped – with no consent from the other side – a relationship can already be called abusive, unhealthy.

But people aren’t always aware of the red flags. Maybe they’re young, maybe they’re facing vulnerable times, and such behaviours will just make them doubt about themselves, not about their partner: I started feeling guilty about texting other people, about not telling him in details who I was seeing, where I was going, what I was wearing. Because those were the things that mattered to him, and I just thought they must have been important if they were getting him so angry all the time.

I just wanted to feel a good and reli able person, but as in textbook abusive relationship, the abuser just kept making my self-esteem lower and convinced me that the way he acted was just a conse quence of my actions. My reality started to blur, psychologists call it “gaslighting”: a manipulative person trying to root in your head their idea of reality.

“Why didn’t you talk about it?” people would point out.

Because abusers take you away from all your friends and, in the worst case, even your family. Things at home weren’t great at the time already, whereas for friends we had mutual ones, from town. Fight after fight we had in front of them, they started ignoring us. I understood them, we were annoying. But they couldn’t understand us: they weren’t able to see that I was the victim, that I had no intentions of being part of those weird, humiliating public fights, but he wouldn’t give much of a choice.

He would give me “the silence treat ment” too after every useless argue. In healthy relationships you discuss, you express different points of view, but you always aim at solving the problem, not at discrediting or punishing your partner.

Runaways are not the solution in normal times, but they might be in emergency: spending some time abroad helped. I felt good again, smart, strong, and independent again. I realised I was

missing out so many things, and I had priorities to reconsider. When I came back, the co-dependency that originates from any abusive relationship brought me back to him.

But it didn’t take long before my new self-awareness finally led me to the right decision. Just as I was sitting in a Mc Donald’s that day when he started destroying my life, I was sitting in a bar in the city center with an old friend three years later. She was cheerful, dressed up, joking around with people. I was tired, wearing sloppy clothes, wasn’t even able to talk to the bartender and I was only 20 years old. I definitely needed to get my life back.

People aren’t always aware of the red flags. I started feeling guilty about texting other people, about not telling him in details who I was seeing, where I was going, what I was wearing... because those were the things that mattered to him.”

Mental

Those October nights

By Rachel Garvey Features Editor

The weather has taken a cold and rainy turn, but that was to be expected for fall season. However, October season is the best time to really practice getting into a great fall night routine that will have you falling asleep in no time; that pun or cringey joke was intended, but I do under stand that it wasn’t that great.

The chilly days are going to have us enjoying staying at home in the heat or by a fire, but there’s no stopping there. Here is my October nightly rituals to make sure that both self- care and productivity is at a beautiful and healthy balance.

Ditch the casual clothes

As soon as I arrive home from work, it’s straight to the bathroom to wash my face. After a hard day’s work, it’s refreshing to lather up and scrub your face from the stresses of work or for a lot of students, the stresses of study. Then it’s into some cosy pyjamas and fluffy socks that cushion my body. They

are so soft on my aching muscles. Pyjamas are a gift and one can never decrease their value in people’s lives; my partner loves when come in and declare “Okay, it’s jam mies time”, I’m a child like that.

Light it up

It’s a common ritual in my house to blast the heater during the coldest times of the year; you would be surprised at how heat can make a room feel cosy and homely. Next is the lighting of the many candles in my possession. You would also be sur prised how candles and their small warm light can add an extra dash of cosiness to a room and minor heat generation and they use zero electricity which is an added bonus. Fairy-lights are switched on to life to bring those spooky vibes as glow-up pumpkins and skeletons illuminate dif ferent parts of the room.

Turn that kettle on!

It is always optional, but in my house, the kettle always gets flicked on during the pyjama and candle-lighting process, the steam and bubbling remind me of a witch’s cauldron bubbling when the

potion inside is almost ready. Pick your poison; tea, coffee or a hot chocolate, but it’s always a cup of tea for me. You wouldn’t believe how relaxing it is to have your comfy pjs on, candles on, TV playing some Halloween playlist in the background and a mug of tea at your fin gertips. It is heaven and it is something that everyone needs on a daily basis after the work is done and the study is over for the night.

Work from your lap

If you’re anything like me in regard to working from your lap on the couch then listen closely.

Everyone needs time to settle and switch off their brains; what I do is give an hour and a half to work stuff or writ ing articles and then for the rest of the evening I can do whatever I please. Having a balance is healthy and as a Libra, it is only right that I keep my scales balanced because when one side is heavier the stress begins. I have also allocated myself a bedtime of eleven o clock, no later so that way I have time to get my work done as well as relax. Simple! Then the z’s start rolling in.

Importance of enjoying every moment of the university experience

By Joline Sundén Rönnlund

We all know the feeling of not being wise enough to appreciate what we have until it is gone.

Passenger knows about it. You “only hate the road when you’re missing home.”

Listening to the lyrics, you know it revolves around a relation ship, but the feeling of the lyrics is applicable to every part of life.

Anyone knows the feeling of those last few weeks of school, work or college, when you count the days, stare at the calendar, wishing that you might get the magical strength of moving days around and that you all of a sudden would be on holiday.

I felt that way last year during the end of the study weeks of spring.

The sun had started to peek behind the clouds and Salthill beach was filled with smiling faces and ice cream.

I could not wait to be done with exams and for myself to be free as a bird.

The English tutor sent out an email and I remember it so clearly. It was such great motivation, just what I needed those last few days of work before submitting the final essays.

“Soon the summer months will make it all a happily-fading memory,” he wrote, and it was all true.

The memory of my first year is certainly fading. Though the “happy” part might be interpreted in several ways. As a stressed-out student going 90% on caffeine, 10% sleep, the

Postgraduate Open Day

Our Autumn Postgraduate Open Day takes place on Tuesday 8 November from 12–3pm in the Bailey Allen Hall. Come along to find out about taught and research study options on offer and to get the most up-to-date information on fees, funding and scholarships.

Join us for a panel discussion, course talks and meet with Programme Directors. The Open Day will showcase new postgraduate programmes, such as the MA (Languages with Business), MSc (Cybersecurity and Risk Management), and the MSc (Health Data Science).

Our on-campus branch of Bank of Ireland will be exhibiting, and will provide information on their competitive Postgraduate Education Loans. Donal Leech (Graduate Studies Office) will present on how to fund your PhD, and we will also be hosting a talk on ‘Making your Postgraduate Application’ presented by staff from the Career Development Centre and the Admissions Office.

You can pre-register for the Open Day now at www.universityofgalway.ie/postgraduate-open-day

happy side of it was that it would soon be all over. Afterwards, coming home, sitting in the morning sun, wondering what to make out of the day ahead, I could not help but see a slight bit of melancholy between those lines.

I saw the college days as the ones filled with happiness. I saw the happiness of those days fading away, all becoming part of a beautiful memory in the back of my head. From time to time, I can get mad thinking of how technology moves forward but how no one has yet constructed that time-travelling machine, allowing me to go back in time to those days of Freshman year when it all felt so daunting – no – I mean exciting.

Sometimes I madly urge to have Dr. Emmet Brown by my side, because he knows how to make that dream come true. He would help me to travel back and enjoy the days that swiftly passed by.

I would travel back and tell my younger self to not just snort by a wall decor stating “carpe diem,” but to live by it.

The melancholic realisation is that this is how the world works. Times that may seem tough and challenging in the moment are the times you will look back to, realising how good it was, how good you felt. But do not get me wrong. I know that time is constructed to pass by, it is what makes us move forward and grow.

Though, sometimes it is lovely being able to look back at times long gone, realising that you did nothing but loved every second of the road though you were missing home.

Damian Browne makes emotional return to Galway shores

By Joseph Murray Co-Sports Editor

They say good things come to those who wait.

For Damian Browne, the hero’s welcome he received upon his return to Galway’s shores only scratched the surface of demonstrating the sheer scale of the feat he had accomplished as the first man to row from New York City to Galway.

The former Galwegians lock, who was born and raised In Galway, made his much-anticipated arrival home at approxi mately 1 am on October 4th, when his boat, Cushlamachree, crashed into rocks off the coast of Na Forbacha, approximately 13km away from his intended arrival destination of Galway Harbour.

However, those few kilometres pale into insignificance when you consider what exactly Browne, achieved with his quest, titled ‘Project Empower’.

In total, Browne completed 112 gru elling days at sea, over 3,000 nautical miles rowed, and raised €75,000 for four

charities: National Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation, Ability West, Madra, and The Galway Simon Community.

After spending a well-earned night with his family, Browne took to the seas once again. This time, to make an emotional entrance to his intended docking site, where a crowd of well over 1,000 people were crowded to greet him.

As the rain dribbled out of the sky, the bustling crowd, including schools, local sports clubs, charities, and a host of local and national media outlets, all raced towards the boat as it pulled into the marina.

After a lengthy spell of interviews with national media in the teeming rain on the seafront, Browne trudged from the marina onto the surface level and made an emotional address to the crowd.

As well as detailing his rigorous daily routine, consisting of countless hours of rowing, consuming 10,000 calories, and hanging off the edge of the boat to upload video files to the cloud, Damian provided insight into the mental challenges he faced during the challenge.

One of the hardest elements of the project was the isolation Browne faced.

The Galway man was on his own at sea for 99 of the 112 days, after his intended rowing partner Fergus Farrell had to be airlifted due to injury.

Despite this, he felt his career as a rugby player allowed him to overcome the difficult mental hurdles he faced: “My background in sport stood to me, it’s the foundation of everything I do. I was so lucky to be a professional rugby player,” he said.

“It gives you so many tools to take on whatever comes at you in life, and I think by going into extreme adventure I’ve just broadened that toolbox.

“So, when I found myself in those moments of darkness, facing headwinds for three days in a row and going back wards, I had a deep foundational belief that I would get through it. That stems from rugby and everything that beautiful game gave me.”

In a follow-up interview with Galway Bay FM, it was put to Browne how he man aged to stay motivated on such a gruelling journey, with so few outside resources to sustain him.

His answer, while relatively straight forward, tells you everything you need to know about his mindset: “I’m not moti vated at all, I’m driven,” he emphasised.

“Motivation is fleeting, it comes and goes, whereas drive is always there and that’s the thing that pops you out of bed at 5 am to go and train.”

Despite stating that he has no intention of a similarly intense project in the future, it’s hard to envision Browne staying still for too long.

With a mentality like his, don’t be surprised if you see another story about an outstanding feat of his in the national media, sooner rather than later.

In total, Browne completed 112 gruelling days at sea, over 3,000 nautical miles rowed, and raised €75,000 for four charities”

Photos courtesy of Lisa Hamilton

Match Report: University of Galway Maree beat KCYMS Killorglin in Superleague

By Cóilín Duffy

Rodrigo Gomez led the way with 26 points, Joe-Junior Mvuezolo added 22 and Jarett Haines posted 21 as University of Galway Maree withstood Flexachem KCYMS’ fastpaced start to mark their home debut by maintaining their 100% record in this

Zvonimir Cutuk and Gomez were among the players involved with some silky link-up play in the paint as Maree capi talised on their physical advantages.

Cutuk turned from creator to long-range deadeye early in the first quarter, drilling the first of his side’s seven three-pointers as their spacing again proved problematic to cope with.

Flexachem forward Robert Kelly Jr, a highly-regarded 24-year-old American import, was one of the visitors’ few bright notes on an evening which started encour agingly, but fizzled out rather quickly.

His explosive movement, timing and ability to score in multiple ways meant he stood out from the pack. It should be no surprise then, knowing he led the game with 35 points in 36 minutes. The next highest-scoring teammate, Liam Croke, managed just 13 by comparison.

an opportunity to get full steam ahead. Cutuk and Mvuezolo in particular made sure of this, while Galway’s solid manto-man defence forced a few shot clock violations too.

Couple that with some scrambled decision-making under duress and, well, the visitors were rarely making headway without Kelly Jr on the ball – who was being guarded tightly.

Mvuezolo’s emphatic dunk, ending a sequence with sharp ball movement, appeared to demoralise the visitors.

They had an eight-point deficit to over turn at that stage, yet at half-time it almost doubled and took too long on the shot clock constructing high-efficiency plays.

Maree had more ways to score and as a consequence, could focus their defensive attention on energetic players who would punish them.

season’s Super League – winning 94-84 on Saturday night.

Head coach Charlie Crowley was delighted with their 92-71 win over Tem pleogue on MD1 and they did one better among familiar surroundings at King fisher against tougher opposition.

In keeping with last weekend’s theme,

Their case wasn’t helped by a number of costly turnovers and relinquishing pos session rather cheaply in the Galway half, as active hands and timely anticipation saw players repeatedly stripped and duly punished with breakaway buckets from Gomez and Haines in particular.

Having led 23-16 to end the first quar ter, Robert Kelly Jr threatened to keep it close as an ever-present threat both in possession and off-ball scanning for open shooting spaces.

They say basketball is a game of runs, but KCYMS were never allowed

Five of Kelly Jr’s last seven points were free throws – all in the fourth with a double-digit deficit – as the suffocating pressure had taken its toll and the result became increasingly secure.

Up next, University of Galway Maree host Garvey’s Tralee Warriors next Sat urday (7pm, Kingfisher Sports Centre, University of Galway).

Warriors somehow managed to relin quish a 14-point third quarter lead in a late collapse against Belfast Star and will be itching to atone for their mistakes in a week’s time.

“ They say basketball is a game of runs, but KCYMS were never allowed an opportunity to get full steam ahead. Cutuk and Mvuezolo in particular made sure of this, while Galway’s solid man-to-man defence forced a few shot-clock violations too.

The Man Behind the Microphone: Graeme White

By Joseph Murray Co-Sports Editor

Graeme White has always been a blue.

Before becoming Everton’s official club commentator in 1995, aged just 21, he was a supporter like any other, attending matches at Goodison Park while volunteering on hospital radio.

Since then, Graeme has spent 27 years at Everton in various roles, and although he still finds himself behind a microphone on a match day, it is now in a drastically different setting. In 2015, he became Goodison Park’s stadium announcer and has held the position since.

As the voice of Goodison Park, Graeme is responsible for com municating with spectators in the ground, and describes what a typical matchday looks like for him, saying: “At the moment I’m not sat in the dugout but pre-Covid I was, and I make any announcements, so if there’s a goal scored, a substitution, or additional time to be played, I do that.

“Then at half-time, I go out and do the entertainment, whether it’s bringing fans onto the pitch for a hit the crossbar competition, or introducing former Everton players onto the pitch. Then, obviously, in the second half, I do what I’ve done in the first half.

“It’s a good job, an enjoyable job, but sometimes it can be quite nerve-wracking when you know you’ve got to talk to 40,000 people.”

After seven years in the job, Graeme has made enough mem ories to last a lifetime. Yet, he feels that his first match as the club’s stadium announcer will always be the one that stands out.

“I had done it numerous times before being the official announcer, and that was a great honour, but [it’s different] when you’re no longer the number two, and not just covering because someone is off sick or on holiday.

“I remember announcing the teams, reading the information out and hearing that cheer, and that sits with me because not many people get the opportunity to do the job that I do.

“I wasn’t good enough to be a footballer, so the nearest I can get is to announce the teams and do stuff for Everton. So, I’ll always remember that moment.”

Unfortunately for Everton, memorable moments have been rare in the past couple of seasons, with the Toffees finishing tenth or below in each of the past three seasons. However, Graeme insists that events on the pitch have little impact on the work he does.

“I’ve got to be professional. I’m the stadium announcer and I’m passing on messages to home and away supporters. It’s difficult when results aren’t going well, but you’re doing your job and you’ve got to do that professionally, and that’s what I try and do week in, week out,” he explains.

Whether it’s a good result, bad result, or indifferent result. I try to be the same across whatever spectrum of football I’m watching at the time.”

Despite the current turmoil on the pitch, things are looking promising for Everton off it. Their new 52,888 capacity stadium on the Bramley Moore Dock is currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2024-25 season.

Having experienced so much at Goodison Park, Graeme will be sad to leave, but explains that he is looking forward to the move, saying: “I’m a bit old school because I’m into my late 40s and I’ve been going to Goodison Park since I was a very young man.

“It’s a fabulous stadium and I have so many memories … however, like anything you have to move on and move on with the times.

“I’m sure there will be tears shed by a lot of Evertonians, probably myself included, but we’ll move on and go to a new stadium where we can create some new happy memories for many years to come.”

With nearly three decades worth of experience under his belt, Graeme is a veteran when it comes to media, and offers some valuable words of advice to people looking to make a start in the same field.

Everton Football Club’s Goodison Park.

Photo: Sue Adair via geograph.org.uk

“Whatever opportunity comes along, take it, learn from it, and other opportunities then will follow. It’s just [about] putting the hours in, and you’ve just got to enjoy it. I don’t treat it as a job … it’s an honour to do it,” he says.

“If at first you don’t succeed, try again, keep knocking on the door, and when you do get in and that door opens, enjoy every minute of it.”

From speaking to Graeme, he clearly practices what he preaches.

Michaela

Anne

Connor

Benjamin

Tom

Holly Leech

Rain Puiman Yan Jack Reidy

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Malena

Convenor

College

Choláiste

Convenor of the College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences / Tionólaí Choláiste an Leighis, an Altranais & na nEolaíochtaí Sláinte

Convenor of the College of Science and Engineering / Tionólaí Choláiste na hEolaíochta agus na hInnealtóireachta

Postgraduate Research Officer Oifigeach na nIarchéimithe i mbun Taighde Postgraduate Taught Officer Oifigeach na nIarchéimithe Teagasctha

Societies Chairperson Cathaoirleach na gCumann

Clubs Captain Captaen na gClubanna

Environmental and Sustainability Officer

Oifigeach Comhshaoil agus Inbhuanaitheachta

International Students Officer Oifigeach na Mac Léinn Idirnáisiúnta

Gender and LGBT+ Rights Officer Oifigeach um Chearta Inscne agus LADT+

Disability Rights Officer Oifigeach um Chearta Míchumais